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Picked up our new 06 Fusion 4cyl SE last night. I am excited to own this car, and will report on our experiences soon. We wanted a reasonably priced family sedan, something roomy and built well and this seems to fit. We drove Camry's, Altima's, Accord's, and Malibu's, and found this to be the best at this moment, but like I tell everyone, ask me how I like it in 8 years.

This is my first brand new car. I should have looked around more. I only get about 17 mpg in town (small town). The turning radius is poor making it difficult to park in straight spaces without swinging out. It is hard to see out the back. The back seat belts in the back are very uncomfortable for an adult and rub your neck raw! (Feels like it anyway). Air vents in the back would help. Handles well when you really get going out on the highway. Hesitates when first taking off from a stop. H">ope to be happier with it in the long run. We will see.

I bought s brand new Milan and had it back in the hsop 3 times over a loud whining noise while driving 30 and over. I was patiently told it was a "characteristic" of the Milan. I replied that perhaps what they meant is that Mercury had made a mistake while building the Milan, but that there is NO characteristic noise acceptable in a brand new car. I asked them to check their hotlines. I was told that I was the only one hearing this characteristic noise. However, one very nice service desk guy called me a week later and told me that there was a fix for this so called characteristic whining noise, and he asked me to bring it in. Ford sent parts and they tied down my drive shaft. No more noises and the car runs like a dream. I was about to sell it back and tell them to KEEP IT! Don't take no for an answer. If they act like they don't know what you are talking about, have them call Joe Brodey at the service deskat Holman Lincoln Mercury in Maple Shade NJ. He was the only one at the service department who cared enough to look into it. I was so unhappy with the car, and I should have been thrilled. Now I am, although it does not get the milage estimated, not even close. Why do the car companies do that? Why not tell the truth, I probably would have bought it anyway!!

I own an 06 SEL V6 in silver frost with just over 3,000 miles on the car. Dislikes:1. Need locking gas cap or locking gas door2. Rear view kind of hard to see out of, takes some getting used to.3. No stability control

I've had my Fusion a little over a month now & I absolutely love it. It is black on the outside & in, which makes for the best part of the car - the color-contrasting thread in the leather seats. It is something you would not see in a Ford, which can explain all the looks you get when you are in the car!

Grips the road great! Love the Michelins that come stock on it & the Audiophile Audio System.

We bought the V6 SEL because we found you only save about two miles to the gal and have less power with the four! Your right about the car turning,takes some getting use to it but no big deal! Remember what probley brought to the Ford Dealer and that is the fact the Fusion is a sharp looking car with good gas milage. Don't give up on it this quick, if you do then you should not buy car that is out for the first year.

You should take your car to the dealer and have them check your gas problem. My wife drives 126 miles aday to work and 110 is hwy driving plus I do mostly town driving in it and we get 28 -31 per mile. PHIL

Mine rides nice, and seems to get good fuel mileage. Now here is what I don't like:

*Vinyl wrap on the dash is wrinkled, and both the dealer and Ford Customer Relations say they will do NOTHING about it. Not even an "I'm sorry". Nice way to kill any repeat business if you ask me.*Doors have bumps and streaks in them.*Interior color match is horrible, and this is a black interior.*The plastic fog lamp bezels are showing signs of melting after only a few uses.*You can't see very well out the rear window when backing up.*Turning radius is not particularly tight.

Barbara383, Thanks for the tip on the noise. I haven't encountered any of that with my customers yet, but if/when I do I know what to do about it! =)

As far as the mileage estimation goes, so far all the models I've driven were pretty close, so perhaphs something else is out of whack too. But regardless, the manufacturers and/or dealerships don't come up with the mileage estimations. That's handled by the good ol' folks at the Environmental Protection Agency.

Consider yourself lucky at 17 mpg. I have 3500 miles on a Milan Premier V6 and the car computer showed 14.6 at outset, now down to 13.9 mpg.

Having had 3 Sables previously, I've seen over the years how Ford is trying to save $$$ by cheapening everything. Now with the Milan they've gone too far.

The paint finish quality look and feel is poor compared to the Sable.

The window glass is definitely thinner than the Sable.

The door sounds like a tin can when opening, you have to slam it to fully shut the door.

It poorly handles NYC potholes, the whole car rattles & shakes.

The extra Audiophile sound system is a lousy substitute for the Mach Audio on the Sable, up the bass high and it sounds like an portable AM radio.

The steering control buttons are poorly designed, the bottom left and right buttons are fan speed and temperature. So, when you drive with your hands naturally resting on the spaces next to these two buttons, you CONSTANTLY change the climate control from Auto to fan speed and CONSTANTLY change the temperature up. And if you have the recirc air button on you have to keep repressing it when you repress Auto button. ANNOYING!

I went with a friend to a Honda dealer. The Accord V6 he bought looks and feels solid with convenience features Ford downsized out years ago, like a glovebox lock and valet key with limited features. And quite a different feel in an upbeat Honda showroom vs. an "old school" Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealer where the con artist/shyster salesreps have the look of desperation and each negotiation is an ordeal.

OK you've made your point, you hate your Milan. Did you even sit in one or take it for a test drive before getting it? I see you have posted similar stuff in just about every Fusion/Milan discussion that exists Edmunds.

Your experience seems to be so much at odds with the experience of the other owners and the mostly very good reviews Fusion/Milan has gotten in the automotive press, you will have to excuse me for being a bit skeptical of your posts.

Good thing you leased it. In three short years you can correct your "error".

Not being able to lay out lots of money for a new car I shopped around for month. I settled on the base model, the Fusion S 2.4 5 speed manual, which i bought about 6 weeks ago. I had the ABS & Side Airbags added which with discouts and Costco pricing made the drive-out price $18,100 (including sales tax). So far my experience has been positive (understanding that one cannot compare the car with other models that are $1000-$4000 more expensive):

1) Fuel Consumption (I have 1900 miles on the car):Improving every time I fill her up. Started at about 22.6 mpg and am at 24.7mpg now. (I keep a spreadsheet). This is exactly what the manual says about mproving - I commute about 65 mile return every day.

2) Radio/CD: I have just the base model. It is great for a family car, remembering that I drive the base model, with the base model sound. (better than the so-called premium Monsoon system I had in my 2002 Jetta!). It also sounds better than the one in my wife's 2005 Honda CRV.

3) Looks: - Many people glance at the car. It has a great look - it stands out and has some presence. Yes it is not Lexus or a Cadillac etc.- but if I wanted that and could afford it I would have bought it.

4) Roadnoise: yes I can hear Roadnoise; yes I can hear the 2.4l engine, but no more than my wife's Honda-CRV or my old Jetta. I always remember this is not a Lexus/Mercedes/BMW etc. It is an affordable family car with great trunk space and seats a family of 4 comfortably.

5) Interior: - Seats are comfortable (not fantastic; but not poor); All the buttons are logically placed, although the light switch I find is a bit low. Everything else is functional and I got what I paid for.

6) What would I have liked to change - the feel of the Steering Wheel - I would have loved to have a softer feel (having a leather wrapped wheel would have been nice!) - I find the plastic really hard; but I resolved that with a really nice cover.

So what I suggest is - understand what you are getting. yes I could have purchased and Hyundaior Accord or a Camry etc. with more Bells and Whistles, but if you just do not have that extra $500 or $800 and want a new car there is very little that beats the Fusion in affordability.

Mine are set to 39/40 as well. I have not noticied it riding hard. Hmm... You could let some air out, but you run the risk of the tires developing cups and diminishing more quickly. Michelin's on the Fusion run $219/piece.

I purchased the 1st Fusion in NYS. I love this car! My previous vehicles include Chevy Malibu, Lumina, Pontiac Bonneville and a Honda Accord! NONE OF THESE come close to the Fusion! I average 23-24 mpg with the V6(mix of highway/city) and drive 60-70 miles per day! This car handles superbly even @ high speeds! I would recommend that "Stuck with it" sends a written complaint to Ford Customer Service(in your manual), the dealer and the Better Business Bureau! Include each name on the letter so that everyone knows who has been copied. BE PERSISTENT!!! Good Luck!

The Ford authorized trade-in program ended 8/19/06 but is just another deceptive Ford marketing practice. It's upto the dealer if they want to trade your car for another new or used one in stock or order a new one. My dealer was not interested in taking the Milan back nor was I interested in what they had on hand. Don't worry, Ford will be offering these again as they become even more desperate to stay solvent.

Throw some STP red in the tank. Like a good enema, it seems to run better and gas mileage is slowly creeping upto 13.8.

The Milan DOES NOT LIKE the a/c running and extended idling. You can watch the fuel gauge move down just like you can watch the clock move to the next minute.

A large local newspaper is looking to interview consumers who have recently purchased a Ford Fusion, Milan, Five Hundred or waiting to purchase the Ford Edge. Please send an e-mail to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, September 6, 2006 by 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET containing your daytime contact information.

Community Manager If you have any questions or concerns about the Forums, send me an email, karen@edmunds.com, or click on my screen name to send a personal message.

Are you sure your not a Honda rep or a Toyota rep trying to spread rumors and discontent about Milan/Fusion?..?? Why don't you trade your Milan in and get it over with ? or take it to the dealer and get it checked out? You can visit any number of Mercury dealers you want. Its under warranty. If one dealer doesn't find a problem, take it to the next dealer..I Have to admit. I was on vacation last week and did mostly stop/go city driving in my Fusion SEL V6 and my mileage dropped to about 21.2 MPG from 27.4! I commute on freeway and wow! what a difference.. :shades:

lol, thats what iam thinking... i know 4 people who have had fusions from oct 05, not a single issue in any... you know they see it as a very good car, and they will talk it down alot to just prop up the others... best thing to do is test drive it yourself... i convinced 3 people to buy fusion\milans over camry, accord and that hyundai thing.. they test drove them all, they didnt even notice the 40 more hp in the others and loved the cars and bought them...

also, on the mileage thing, if you start out city driving it will go low and stay there, no matter how many highway miles you go after city, i know, i have a fusion. tell me this, how many miles you get to the tank before you fill up? lol.. now dont go looking to see what the fuel tank size is.. comon post number fast..

easy to get different mileage rating.. reset it on freeway, drive freeway then city and back then you will get your real average, mine at 600 miles is getting 26.1 city and freeway for last 2 weeks... go figure.

No, I am not a rep. When I was talking about trading in before, I was referring to the program about trading it back to Ford. But I understand that ended Aug 19. I wasn't even aware of it. I am thinking of trading though. Thanks.

It's been a while since I've been out here on the forums. I can honestly say that I'm surprised to be seeing complaints out here. I've had my 06 Fusion SEL (Black/Black Leather) since December. I love everything about it. The paint glows, the gaps are uniform, IMHO this car has the best interior in its class. Especially with the leather seats. No issues whatsoever as far as fit and finish goes. The car rides great, everyone that I've had in it has commented on how smooth it is out on the highway. And it's a blast to drive hard out in the twisties.

I was a bit concerned with the mileage I was getting for the first few months. I was averaging low 20s in mostly in town driving. I'm happy to report that I'm now getting somewhere between 24 and 27 in mixed driving. The mileage will start crappy, but improve every tankful as the motor breaks in. It is my firm belief that anyone stating that they are getting 13MPG is either lying or drives with the brake depressed all of the time. Have you guys that are stating 13MPG ever reset your MPG counter? btw...The first trip of any significance that I took in my Fusion (1000 miles) I averaged 29MPG, just as advertised.

Don't get me wrong, I like the car. After my 11 MPG Explorer, this is a dream. Yes I test drove the car, not the exact one I bought. Sometimes you're overcome by the overall new car experience, you don't get deep into the vehicle's issues until later. And some of the things I mentioned, you might not notice - I do because I work in the auto industry. My issue is with the dealer's "too bad, live with it" attitude. A simple "we're sorry" would have made me happy.

I am reading around the net another thing Ford is doing to reverse its money losses and improve its image is not renewing dealer licenses/agreements with those dealerships that have many complaints and lack sales. I think this is a great idea myself. :shades:

I have posted before and found that some people are quite sensitive about the issues I have with my car. Just be glad it's not your experience. Just wanted to update that my mileage is now up to 16-18 mpg. Otherwise, I am more satisfied with my car now that I have had it a few months. Since I only drive about 5 miles to work, the gas problem is not a big deal for me. I did purchase the heavy rubber mats with the Fusion logo made for this car and I believe it will be a lifesaver for the carpet.

My mileage average has dropped .2 to 26.6 from 26.8.. in my Fusion SEL v6. I do however commute mostly freeway to work. I only live about 4 miles off the freeway, work is about 1 mile off freeay. I can average 60-65MPH on this freeway.